The Point of It All
| The Point of It All | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | December 16, 2008 | |||
| Recorded | 2007–2008 | |||
| Studio | ||||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 59:20 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Anthony Hamilton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from The Point of It All | ||||
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The Point of It All is the fourth studio album by American singer Anthony Hamilton. It was released on December 16, 2008, by Mister's Music, So So Def Recordings, and Zomba. The album's production was handled by Hamilton himself along with Mark Batson, Kevin Wooten, Dre & Vidal, James "Big Jim" Wright and Salaam Remi, among others.
The album debuted at number 12 on the US Billboard 200 and at number three on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, selling 133,000 copies in its first week of release, the highest sales week of his career. Upon its release, The Point of It All received generally positive reviews from most music critics. As of May 2010, the album had sold over 519,000 copies in the United States and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[1]
Singles
[edit]The album's lead single "Cool" featuring David Banner, and it peaked at number 74 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at number 19 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Critical reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 72/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B[4] |
| New York Times | Favorable[5] |
| The New Yorker | Favorable[6] |
| PopMatters | 8/10[7] |
| Rolling Stone | [8] |
| Spin | [9] |
| USA Today | [10] |
| Vibe | Favorable[11] |
| The Washington Post | Favorable[12] |
The Point of It All received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 72, based on nine reviews.[2] Mike Joseph of PopMatters viewed Hamilton as "an artist capable of filling the void created when Gerald LeVert and Luther Vandross passed away.[7] The album's opening track, "The News", drew comparisons to past artists tackle on social issues. Andy Kellman of AllMusic stated the song is "as poignant as Curtis Mayfield's 'Pusherman' and Willie Hutch's 'Brothers Gonna Work It Out'".[3] Edward Bowser of Soul in Stereo described it as "[s]ort of like a more hip 'What's Going On,' about constant drama on the news and the need for a savior."[13]
Distinct praise was given to Hamilton's voice. Mike Joseph of PopMatters wrote, "His raspy tone has drawn comparisons to everyone from Bill Withers to Bobby Womack, ... he's proven himself to be one of the few current artists capable of sounding like an authentic throwback (as opposed to a pale facsimile) and completely contemporary at the same time."[7] Andy Kellman of AllMusic wrote, "Vocally, Hamilton has never been as dynamic as he is on this song, switching between his grittily textured baritone and surprisingly effective upper register."[3]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The News" | Batson | 3:34 | |
| 2. | "Cool" (featuring David Banner) |
| Wooten | 4:16 |
| 3. | "The Day We Met" |
| Batson | 3:58 |
| 4. | "Diamond in the Rough" |
|
| 3:37 |
| 5. | "I Did It for Sho" |
| SalaamRemi.com | 3:19 |
| 6. | "Hard to Breathe" |
| Batson | 4:12 |
| 7. | "Soul's on Fire" |
| Batson | 4:23 |
| 8. | "Please Stay" |
| Jack Splash | 5:03 |
| 9. | "The Point of It All" | 3:50 | ||
| 10. | "Fallin' in Love" |
| Batson | 3:07 |
| 11. | "Prayin' for You/Superman" |
|
| 7:54 |
| 12. | "Her Heart" |
| Wooten | 4:03 |
| 13. | "Fine Again" |
| Wooten | 4:30 |
| 14. | "She's Gone" (bonus track) |
| Heavy D | 3:28 |
Notes
- ^[a] signifies a co-producer
Charts
[edit] Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[1] | Gold | 500,000^ |
| ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "American album certifications – Anthony Hamilton – The Point of It All". Recording Industry Association of America. May 27, 2010. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ a b "The Point Of It All by Anthony Hamilton Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ a b c Kellman, Andy. Review: The Point of It All. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2009-11-22.
- ^ Kot, Greg. Review: The Point of It All. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on 2009-11-22.
- ^ Pareles, Jon. Review: The Point of It All. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2009-11-22.
- ^ Greenman, Ben. Review: The Point of It All. The New Yorker. Retrieved on 2009-11-22.
- ^ a b c Joseph, Mike. Review: The Point of It All. PopMatters. Retrieved on 2009-11-22.
- ^ Rosen, Jody. Review: The Point of It All. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2009-11-22.
- ^ Peisner, David. Review: The Point of It All. Spin. Retrieved on 2009-11-22.
- ^ Jones, Steve. Review: The Point of It All Archived 2010-04-18 at the Wayback Machine. USA Today. Retrieved on 2009-11-22.
- ^ Ramirez, Erika. Review: The Point of It All. Vibe. Retrieved on 2009-11-22.
- ^ Friskics-Warren, Bill. Review: The Point of It All. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2009-11-22.
- ^ Bowser, Edward (February 11, 2009). "Soul in Stereo Review". Soul in Stereo. Retrieved April 21, 2016.
- ^ "Anthony Hamilton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ "Anthony Hamilton Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved January 26, 2020.
- ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
